Rate Article:

When Mohamed Bishr flatly refused to star in a pornography production depicting Saddam Hussein as the lead, he was badly beaten. Maybe he's not dong himself any favors in keeping his facial hair, some have opined.

An Egyptian man alleges a gang tried to kidnap him and force him to film pornographic videos because of his resemblance to despot Saddam Hussein.

Mohamed Bishr said he was going to a cafe in Alexandria, Egypt, when three men dressed in black tried to force him into a van, al-Ahram reported.

"The three men, who had guns hanging from their belts, forced me out of my car and shoved me into a van, hitting my head," Bishr told al-Ahram.

Bishr's son, Mahmoud Bishr, said his father had met with a group of unidentified people and was offered $333,000 to impersonate the late dictator in a pornographic movie, which Bishr declined. The son said his father then received several phone calls in which he was threatened with kidnapping if he didn't portray the dead Iraqi strongman in the sex tape.

Bishr's family said this wasn't the first time the father was hassled because of his looks. His sons said Iraqis in Egypt had assaulted their father, saying, 'You are Saddam Hussein and we will turn you in for the $1 million reward.' Family members told al-Ahram Bishr has moved four times to escape the harassment.